Another line of thinking says that the word came from a contraction of Cajun French, jambon à la yaya, meaning "ham with rice." This could be true, too. It is thought that the dish has its roots in the Spanish dish Paella, a rice dish often made with pork.
But for sure, the dish evolved in the bayou regions of the deep south and found its way to New Orleans if it did not, in fact, originate there. That, too, is up for debate because it is a matter of historical fact that the first recipe for "Jam Bolaya" (as it was written), was published in 1878 in a church-sponsored cookbook in Mobile, Alabama.
Today, Jambalaya has varied preparations and there is no one, definitive Jambalaya recipe, except that it will almost always start with the "Holy Trinity" of Cajun and Creole cooking: onion, green bell pepper and celery. Along with rice, meat or seafood of varying kinds are added with spices and seasonings, and the dish will almost always contain Andouille sausage, a staple of Louisiana cooking. Generally, Jambalaya will fall into two primary categories: Creole or New Orleans style, and Cajun or Arcadian style. My recipe is the former, the primary difference being that only the Creole or New Orleans style of Jambalaya contains tomatoes.
Jambalaya certainly is distinctly different from other famous New Orleans dishes like Gumbo, Étouffée or Shrimp Creole in that rice is cooked into the dish rather than served separately. Hence, it is a one-pot dinner, but pairs exceptionally with a loaf of garlic bread, my Haricots Verts and Cucumber Salad, found here, and a few Cajun martinis (the recipe for which can be found below).
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Ingredients
4 tbsp olive oil, plus 1 more
4 links Andouille sausage (about 1 lb), sliced into 1/2-inch thick "coins"
6 boneless-skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large yellow onion, diced (about 2 cups)
4 stalks celery, diced (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 large green bell pepper, diced (about 1-1/2 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups long-grain rice
2 14.5-oz cans petite diced tomatoes (like, Hunt's)
4 cups chicken stock (like, Kitchen Basics)
1 14.5-oz can chicken broth (like, Swanson's)
3 tbsp tomato paste (like, Cento)
2 tbsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 tsp smoked salt (like, San Francisco Salt Company Alder Wood)
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
4 green onions, chopped
Instructions
In a large Dutch oven or stock pot that has a tight fitting lid, heat the 4 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat; add the sausage and chicken, and cook about 5 minutes or until the chicken is opaque and the sausage is beginning to brown.
Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper. Cook about ten minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender and the onions are translucent.
Add garlic, stirring for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the rice, and stir about 3 minutes until lightly toasted.
Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, chicken broth, thyme, smoked salt, black pepper and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then add the tomato paste. Stir well to combine, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover, and cook for 30-40 minutes until the rice is tender. If more liquid is required, add a bit of water. Once the rice has absorbed its liquid, you want the Jambalaya to be moist but not soupy.
In a mixing bowl, combine 1 tbsp of olive oil with the shrimp and stir to coat. Add the paprika, cayenne, and parsley and stir to coat again.
Add the shrimp to rice mixture, and stir until combined. Cook for another 3-4 minutes
or until shrimp are pink and firm.
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| Tomolives are small, pickled green tomatoes. |
Serve in large soup bowls and garnish with the chopped green onion.
Cajun Martini: 4-oz London dry gin (like, Bombay Sapphire), a spritz of vermouth, 2-3 drops Tabasco Sauce, shaken over hard ice and strained into a chilled martini glass, garnished with two Tomolives (like, Old South).
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